How do you prefer your toast, slightly golden or dark golden? Do you carefully take your time to remove the crust from your slice of bread before you spread a generous amount of peanut butter on it?
If you do, today is the day where you can take all the time you have to peel those crust and celebrate World Bread Day. World Bread Day is celebrated on October 16 every year. No matter how absurd our preference with bread is, we can all agree that bread is an integral part of nearly every culture in the world.
History of Bread
Men have been breaking bread since the dawn of antiquity. The earliest bread is believed to be made in the Middle East by the Egyptian. The discovery of grinding stones or quern suggested that bread making can be traced back to 30,000 years ago, although there is no definite evidence to prove so.
The quern, which is a simple hand mill used to grind grains, was the first known grinding tool. The Egyptians were known to be the pioneer in bread making, especially fermented bread. The process involved using a little old dough, or leaven, to start the new dough. The doughs were mixed and allowed to rise before baking.
The invention of steel roller mill in 1834, Switzerland revolutionised bread baking. With steel roller mill, the grains were broken open instead or crushed, making it easier to separate the endosperm, germ and bran. With the addition of chemicals in the early 20th century, bread became softer, whiter and lasted longer.
Chemical additives are used to speed up the fermentation process, allowing the dough to be mixed, risen and baked in less than three hours. Today, there are many types of bread available around the world, each with its preparation and baking method.
Bread 101
There are many types of bread that you can find in your local bakery to make your sandwich or eaten as it is. For most of us (you know who you are), any sandwich can be made using Gardenia bread but if your palate of bread is somehow limited to Gardenia, then let’s take this opportunity to be acquainted with the rest of the bread family member.
- Whole-wheat bread
The whole-wheat bread or wholemeal bread is made using wheat flour, with 100% extraction from the grain. Whole grains contain a lot of fibre that aids in digestion and help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. More and more people are going for whole-wheat bread due to its nutritional benefits.
- White bread
The most common bread of all, white bread is usually made using bread flour or all-purpose flour. White bread is known for its soft texture and compact grain, making it easy to slice. White bread is commonly used in eateries and fast-food chains as it can be moulded to any form during the cooking process.
- Multigrain bread
Multi-grain bread is made using different flours, such as whole-wheat, all-purpose and rye. Sometimes, whole grains are also added to the dough. Some varieties even include edible seeds such as quinoa, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseed.
- Brown bread
Brown bread is a type of bread that is made with whole-grain flour such as wheat and dark-coloured ingredients such as coffee, molasses or caramel. Usually, the baking process involves mixing wheat germ with barn, which makes up 10% of the recipe.
- Roti
Roti is a type of flatbread and commonly enjoyed in Asian countries. It is made using different types of flour such as all-purpose, wheat, spiked millet and sorghum.
- Rye bread
Rye bread is believed to be originated from Europe. It is a type of bread made with different proportions of flour from rye grain. With its distinct slightly brown or dark brown colour, rye bread is usually denser than other types of bread and contains higher fibre and stronger flavour.
- Sourdough bread
As the name says, sourdough bread has a slightly sour taste and dense texture. Fermentation of flour and water is necessary before the baking process is done and the leavening usually uses a type of acids such as baking soda or yeast.
- Ezekiel bread
Ezekiel bread requires no flour but sprouted grains. Sometimes, seeds and beans are added to the recipe. As the baking involves the addition of uncooked grains and beans, it is paramount that the grains are appropriately sprouted before you make the bread.
Do you have a sweet tooth? If you do, this recipe of bread pudding is the perfect dish for you to celebrate World Bread Day with your loved ones.
Ingredients (12 servings):
- 6 slices white bread
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- ½ cup of raisins
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups of milk
- ¾ cup of white sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 175 °C.
- Break the bread into small pieces into a baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over the bread and add the raisins
- Then, mix eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until well.
- Pour the mixture over the bread.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.